


Eat Your Dead

by RedRosella



Category: Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Cannibal Bim, Cannibalism, Gen, Gore, Graphic Depictions of Dead Bodies, King of the Squirrels is like Groot and no one can tell me otherwise, No explicit murder, No one is described in pain though, They told me I couldn't make an innocent cannibal, they were wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-24 07:28:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14950259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRosella/pseuds/RedRosella
Summary: There was something so rewarding about just doing it himself, choosing what exactly he would eat. A human body’s meat could last a long time when preserved right, and it could be good for countless meals, and that’s what he intended to do with what was left, but right now he was just… free. He didn’t have to worry about anything. He could just do what he wanted with no consequences and no regrets. He could simply eat.Or: The story of Bim and his complete and utter lack of knowledge surrounding proper disposal of the human body after death, and the reactions of the people closest to him.





	1. Ivan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TooManyTubers](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=TooManyTubers).



> I feel like I should preface this by saying that no, I am not a cannibal, and no, I do not subscirbe to the beliefs Bim has in this story. I did a lot of research on cannibalism for this story though, so do not be surprised if I go missing because the FBI has taken me away.
> 
> Also, I do want to say that there is no one described in pain in this story. No one is ever murdered, it is only the aftermath. I know that I personally do no like reading that kind of stuff, but I am fine with the aftermath, so I just want to put that out there. Do be warned that the aftermath is gory, though.

His suit was bloody.

There were guts all over it, blood staining the white into a murky pink that would never come out. 

It was glorious. 

The warmth of the bodies beneath him was still there, slowly dwindling. It was familiar. Wonderful.

Tasty.

Bim grabbed another handful of meat, his hands already stained a deep red with blood from his countless other tastings. It would take forever to wash away, but it didn’t matter. This was worth it.

The body in front of him had it’s chest ripped open, intestines out in the open for everyone to see. It was so amazing to see something that was once a human just… there. All the parts that once worked together in unison to create a living breathing human, all still there but no longer fulfilling their purpose. 

That wasn’t the best part, though.

The best part was the taste. 

If anything, it was like pork. Or maybe chicken. Tangy in an indescribable way. There truly was no way to describe it completely, it just was. That’s what made him crave it so much. There was nothing that could compare. Nothing that he would want to compare to it. 

There was something so rewarding about just doing it himself, choosing what exactly he would eat. A human body’s meat could last a long time when preserved right, and it could be good for countless meals, and that’s what he intended to do with what was left, but right now he was just… free. He didn’t have to worry about anything. He could just do what he wanted with no consequences and no regrets. He could simply eat.

The person that once was in front of him was another one of his contestants. His name was Ivan, and now he no longer existed. He had failed the show, died live on the air, and really, what else could Bim do with his body?

He was doing him a favor, using Ivan’s body as fuel and not letting it waste away into nothingness. It was all a part of the circle of life.

There was nothing wrong with it. 

This was what people did. This is what animals all over the world did. They didn’t waste food just because it happened to come from the same race. 

It confused Bim why he didn’t hear about others doing this, helping their dead become part of the natural life cycle, but he just assumed that it must be a personal thing. He figured that maybe families all came together for a last meal, as a way to mourn. It made logical sense. Death was an ending for one, but a beginning for others. Coming together for one last meal with the person would be extremely gratifying. Just knowing that someone you loved was going to be with you, and give you strength, that had to help with grief. It always helped Bim.

Even if he didn’t know these people it was still dignifying to give them a proper end. And it just made him happy. He figured that they would also be happy to know that the world still had a use for them even after their death. That’s what Bim would want for him if he ever died. He would want those around him to grieve in their own ways, and use what they needed from him. It was just the way of life.

It took a long time, who knew how many hours, but finally Bim was full. Blood was dripping down from his mouth, and the body under him had gone cold, but he was satisfied. There was no better feeling than this. Even if he stuffed himself full of regular food, he could never recapture this feeling. This contentedness with the world and the people in it. The feeling of belonging, and being part of what made the world turn. He could understand why people didn’t talk about it. It was just so personal. So wonderful. Nothing could ever describe it.

Bim looked down at the body, finally seeing what he had done for the first time with clarity. When he was eating, it was like a fog clouded his mind, just telling him to eat, and nothing else. He could barely see the carnage he had inflicted, more focused on just feeling and eating. Now seeing the body with its rib cage torn open, flesh and blood and guts and intestines and organs everywhere, it was a bit startling. Not in a bad way, more in just a ‘wow, I did that’ kind of way. A shocking realization that he had this kind of power. 

He slowly got up, wiping off his mouth with his bloody hand, despite that fact that it did nothing. It just smeared the blood across his face more, really. He rubbed his chin in thought, trying to figure out what exactly he should do with the rest of the body. He was tired right now, the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins before now gone and leaving him crashing, and he didn’t want to go through the effort of packaging all the still valuable meat up. But he really shouldn’t put it off or else the flesh would begin to rot, and then it would be no good. It was best to just get it out of the way, rather than leave it for future Bim to take care of. 

Letting the meat go bad was a risk he couldn’t take. That would just be disgraceful, especially after he went through all the work of preparing it and eating half of it. Throwing the rest away would be one of the worst things he could do.

Of course, there were parts of the body that were no good to eat, but those could be used in a myriad of different ways. He wouldn’t let any part of the body that once was Ivan go to waste on his watch. 

Bim slowly began the delicate process of chopping up the remaining pieces, packaging them away to be stored in his fridge. He had his own little fridge in his room that no one else would be able to get into. It’s not that he was ashamed, he just knew that it was a personal thing and some people might not want to see it. He was just being considerate of them. There was nothing wrong with it.

It took about a good hour or two but eventually Bim had cut up everything he possibly could, labelling all the containers with their respective terms and putting the uneatable parts in a separate bin that he had his own personal uses for. Ones he had figured out after years of doing this. 

Just as Bim was getting up, ready to put the food back into his fridge just around the corner in his personal kitchenette, past his bedroom and to the left a few feet, he heard the door to his room open. 

Bim perked up, trying to get a look at who was entering the room, but he couldn’t see from his dining room. Well, it wasn’t a dining room in a traditional sense. It was more like a cold and clinical eating and chopping and carving room. But it was where he dined, so that’s what he called it.

“Hello?” Bim called out.

“Bim.” It was Dark. “The others have been wondering where you are. You didn’t come to the meeting this morning. What have you been doing?”

Bim stood up quickly, shocked. “I missed the meeting? Oh wow, sorry, I didn’t realize I had taken that long. I was just finishing up my game show.” He walked out of the room, turning the corner to see Dark in his unflinching stoicism. “Then I had to eat. I wasn’t keeping track of time. Sorry about that. I’m just about done now.”

And then… Dark did something he had never seen the ego do before. He stepped back, mouth opening and closing in shock for just a few seconds before he regained his composure.

“Bim… what… what were you doing?” Dark said, coughing to mask his slight stutter. Bim furrowed his eyebrows  in concern. This was extremely out of character for Dark. What could have shaken him so badly that he’d be acting like this?

“I was eating. It’s kind of a personal thing,” Bim explained.

“What were you eating?” Dark said slowly.

“Uh… His name was Ivan. He was a contestant on my show. Died from a knife wound, but surprisingly not from Wilford.”

Dark took in a deep breath. “I… did not know that you practiced cannibalism, Bim.”

“Oh, well, yeah. Of course I do. A lot of people happen to die on my show- it’s odd how many, really- and then, y’know, I do it. Like normal.”

“...Okay. Well we will need to talk about this, at… some point. For now you should-” Dark motioned up and down to his form. “-Wash yourself off. You’re extremely bloody right now.”

“Oh yeah, I was just about to do that! You caught me at a bad time. Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Yes, it is no big deal. I see you were… preoccupied. Just don’t do it again. And please don’t kill any of the egos. I need them.”

Bim took a step back, horror written on his face. “Kill them?! I would never kill them! That would be awful. I would never do that, how could you possibly think that?”  
“Right. Of course. How could I be so daft?” Dark said blandly.

Bim frowned. “Alright, well, I’ll be getting ready now,” He said, turning around to go over to his bedroom.

“Right.”


	2. Matthew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bim invites Dark to join him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for more explicit cannibalism (obviously).

It was a few weeks before Bim ended up needing to get more meat again. The body of Ivan had ended up not lasting as long as he had wanted it too, catching him off guard when he went to the fridge one day and realized just how little was left.

Maybe he had gone overboard when he was binging and ate much more than he thought... It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. It was just so hard to control himself when he was there, smelling the delectable odor of human flesh, the mouth watering meat right in front of him. It would be like denying a gourmet meal presented on fine china in a five star restaurant. It was just wrong.

Though ever since that night Dark seemed to be keeping a closer eye on him. It wasn’t obvious or anything, just glances out of the corner of his eye and long stares deep in thought when he was sure Bim wasn’t looking. It was odd, but Bim decided not to worry about it. Dark was a mysterious ego, and when he got his mind set on something, whatever it may be, there was no swaying him or even trying to figure out exactly what he was thinking. It was better to just wait for him to address it rather than bring it up.

It must have had something to do with the cannibalism, but Bim couldn’t really see why that that would make Dark so focused on him, rather than a more dangerous ego like Wilford or the Googles. It was just a normal thing.

Maybe Dark had never eaten a human before?

That actually made sense… Maybe he wanted to see how it tasted! Of course he wouldn’t have done it before, he was never close enough to someone when they died, and Dark was hardly a murderer despite what it may seem at first glance. He was a manipulator. Of course he’d never have had an opportunity!

Bim mulled over this thought, trying to see what he could do now that he knew just what Dark was thinking about. Could he just tell Dark that he knew? It was a tough topic to breech, being so personal… But Dark was curious, so who was Bim to deny him the experience? It wouldn’t be wasting any of the meat unless Dark didn’t like it and decided to spit it out. That wouldn’t happen though. It was too good for anyone to even think about doing that.

The was the best course of action would be to tell Dark the next time someone died and ask him to join. It’d stop the staring, and it’d let Dark experience something wonderful and new and gratifying. It was a win-win situation!

Normally Bim was a bit wary of Dark, but the idea of actually doing it with someone rather than all alone like he usually did was really enticing, and it made him forget all his reservations about the shady ego. All he could think about was sharing something that made him happy with someone who was part of this odd little family they had.

It took about a month for the next opportunity to arise. It didn’t matter to Bim that it took so long, it wasn’t like he was hoping that someone would die. He was fine with waiting for it to happen naturally. He was being truthful when he said he’d never murder someone. That would just be screwing with the life cycle, and it would be cutting off someone's life before they could do everything they needed to. Just letting it happen naturally was morally right and less wasteful.

And yet, when he did his show the next month, someone just happened to die. It was odd how often that happened on his show. Maybe it was the presence of Wilford? Or maybe it was just bad- good?- luck. Who was Bim to question it? If that’s the way the world worked, he wasn’t going to try to go against it. He’d rather just accept the gift that the world decided to give him.

After the show finished and all that was left was the body left on the stage, Bim took a deep breath, beginning his ritual.

He kneeled down before the contestant- his name was Matthew- and quickly gave a thought to his life, and what little he knew had happened during it. He offered well wishes to his family wherever they were, and condolences that they couldn’t be here to share in the feast Matthew had given to them. He promised that he would take good care of him, though, and assure that his body continued on in the natural life cycle.

He got up after a few minutes, lifting the body carefully, and slowly walking it to his room. He knew the way like the back of his hand, and there was no chance of anyone coming and interrupting the ritual that Bim had so carefully crafted. It was only a minute before he returned to his dining room, knives and saws lined up across the walls. He laid Matthew’s body down.

He looked so peaceful. There was no expression across his face, no light in his eyes anymore, no steady breaths. It both was beautiful and mind boggling to see.

Bim really wanted to start eating right away, but first he had to get Dark. He left the body in the room for a minute, quickly walking towards the other ego’s room. He knocked twice, hoping that he would actually be in his room and not somewhere else in the headquarters. Bim didn’t want to waste time trying to find him when he could be carving into Matthew’s body.

Thankfully the door creaked open after only a few seconds and a sliver of Dark could be seen in the tiny opening.

“Bim. What do you want?”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to eat with me!”

Dark raised an eyebrow. “Eat with you?”

“Yes. I have a body in my room. You seemed interested in it, so I wanted to let you join in! There’s more than enough for both of us.”

Dark seemed to pause. “...If you would allow me to, I will observe.”

“Alright, I know it can be daunting at first. You don’t have to do anything on your first meal.” Bim flashed him a smile. “It’s in my room right now. Come on.”

Bim led Dark back down the hall, slipping into his room and then back to the dining area. Matthew’s body was still there, just as expected. It’s not like he’d just get back up and start walking again, after all.

Dark stood in a corner, arms folded and leaning against the two converging walls, keeping an eye on the body. His face was blank.

Bim gave him an encouraging smile before turning back to Matthew’s body. He kneeled down, giving another quick word and thanking him for the meal before picking out a knife to use. He wished he could use his hands all the way through, but it simply wasn’t possible as a human. It was just so much easier to use a knife, and Bim was aching to rip into him.

Slowly he carved a line into his stomach, gleefully watching the blood begin to dribble out of the cut, pouring out onto the cold tiled floor.

He placed down the knife, leaving it for later, and hooked his fingers into the cut, pulling it open like tissue paper. It was pliant, giving him access to his stomach fat and internal organs. It was easier now that he had something to grab onto and actually begin to pull apart.

It was instinctual now. The fog was beginning to descend upon his mind like always. He could see the blood begin to stain his hands, see the meat begging to be eaten.

He tore out a chuck, popping it into his mouth and savoring the first bite. The glorious flavor burst on his tongue, sending a shock through his system. He needed more.

He tore into the meat with a fervor, pulling off pieces, going for the parts that he knew would be the best from years of experience. There was no thought, just hunger. He didn’t even remember that he had company. It was just him and the body.

He didn’t gorge himself as much as last time, still satisfied from eating human meat just last month. He only did it before because his show had been on a hiatus and it had been so long since he’d last eaten, so when he finally got to the need overwhelmed him. He was calmer this time, although only just. He was still hungry.

It took about an hour for him to come down from the high. Matthew’s body was thoroughly torn apart, pieces of meat still hanging out in strings, just begging to be eaten, but Bim restrained himself It wouldn’t do good to eat everything all in one go. It’d be a waste. This body could last for a long time if he paced himself. It would sate his hunger and be more respectful to Matthew, as it could sustain someone for a long time rather than one gluttonous meal.

Suddenly Bim realized with a jolt that Dark was still there in the corner. He had completely forgotten about the ego in his adrenaline filled rush. He turned around.

Dark was nowhere to be found.

Bim frowned.

Had something happened? Did Dark have to slip out in the middle, and Bim just didn’t hear him because he was so involved? That was disappointing.

Oh well, he must have had a good reason. Maybe next time he’d join in… He’d just have to talk to Dark later. For now he’d just package up the meal. It could probably last him about three weeks this time if he didn’t binge eat at some point. That usually didn’t happen, though. Binge eating was only fun when the body was right in front, the adrenaline running through his veins.

Bim picked up his knife again, going at the body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have five chapters of this written, so you're going to get them back to back for a bit before I go hid back in the shadows. I won't leave you hanging for long, though.


	3. Dark's Ability to Deal With Mark's Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark has a crisis before coming to a conclusion.

It just didn’t make sense. It was completely illogical. There were no signs, no reasons, no explanation for why Bim was a cannibal. He was the ego everyone saw as the most innocent. He was an ego Dark had disregarded as useless a long time ago, possessing nothing that Dark could use. To see…  _ that _ display was harrowing. 

Dark paced back and forth in his room, playing back the images of Bim coming into his view covered in blood, not even seeming to notice he was creating a trail of gore as he walked over. It was one of the few rare things that managed to actually startle Dark. And then seeing it happen in person...

Dark couldn’t stay there.

Despite all beliefs to the contrary, Dark wasn’t a murderer. Death didn’t exactly phase him, but he didn’t actively participate in it. However, seeing someone’s body viciously ripped apart and eaten like it was finger food was just too much. 

Not that he’d ever admit it to anyone, but there was no way he’d ever want to experience that again. It was just something that even he couldn’t handle.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to use it to his own benefit, though.

Bim became a person of extreme interest in just a few short minutes, going from the most unremarkable ego to one of the most deadly forces in the headquarters.

He wasn’t like Wilford, who killed without thinking someone would be gone forever. Wasn’t like Yandere who killed for love. He killed to eat.

He killed and then had the ability to tear apart the body.

Despite all appearances, that wasn’t natural. No one else would be able to do that to a body without a knife, and he only used one once just to get started. Bim was a lot less human than first appearances might suggest, that was for sure.

Dark could use it. 

He still couldn’t understand it, though. Why Bim?

There was nothing special about him. Nothing remarkable. That’s why Dark had disregarded him in the first place. 

Had he just missed the signs? 

Dark never missed anything. He was the leader. It was his job to know everything. How the fuck did he not realize one of his own was a cannibal?

There had to be some kind of reason. Something that made this made sense. Nothing like this happened by accident. People didn’t just become cannibals without rhyme or reason.

Bim didn’t act like a cannibal, either. It just didn’t make sense. Cannibals were lunatics or people that got off on the pain of others. Bim wasn’t either of those… right?

Who knew anymore. Anything could be true if Bim was a cannibal. Hell, he wouldn’t even be phased if it turned out The Host was just two kids in a trench coat after what he just saw.

Dark couldn’t just accept it and leave it at that. He needed a reason. 

And to find that reason, he had go through torture: Watching Mark’s videos.

Specifically, the one where Bim first appeared.

It was grating  watching one of Mark’s videos, especially when he’d already sat through it once when Bim arrived, just to get cursory information on him. Watching it for a second time was like nails on a chalkboard.

Dark sat through it though, keeping an eye on Bim throughout it, mentally cataloging every little thing he did. 

He was just about to give up when it happened.

...Dark was a goddamn idiot.

The mother fucking burgers.One of the contestants had died, got turned into burgers, and then Bim fed them to the contestants. One goddamn joke, something that could be overlooked so easily, and that ended up influencing Bim in such a drastic way.

No one knew how a video would end up influencing an ego’s personality, and usually one off jokes didn’t seem to translate into an ego, but this wasn’t just a joke. It was a plot point in the video, as ridiculous as that may seem.

It made sense, thinking about it now. Of course Bim would end up being a cannibal. He knew nothing else.

...Dark fucking hated Mark.

The bastard just didn’t understand the effects videos he starred in had. He didn’t understand what he could create, and he didn’t try to take any care in preventing any of this, despite knowing what it could cause.

It was deplorable.

Oh well. Dark would use this. 

He’d use this and get back at Mark once and for all.

Now that he knew, there were so many possibilities at his fingertips. So many opportunities to manipulate Bim. Finally destroy Mark like he’d wanted to do for so long.

Mark created Bim, and now he’d make him his destruction.

It was just karma, after all.  
First though he’d have test the waters. Keep Bim on his side. Make sure he trusted him. Slowly ease him into what he needed to do. Despite what Dark had seen, he still didn’t doubt his original assessment that Bim was still one of the more sensitive egos. He would have to take a careful touch that took that into mind, otherwise this would never work. 

To do this though he’d need the help of a certain cotton candy ego.

~

Wilford had killed another person on his show. 

It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

That didn’t make it all the less disgusting for Bim though.

Just the thought of all that life snuffed out in its prime was a terrible thought. Those people had lives, had goals they could have accomplished. Sure, Bim believed that all death had a reason, but murder was a choice made by a person, not by the universe. It was up to the universe to decide when someone should die, not some madman with a gun or a knife.

There wasn’t anything Bim could do about it though, so he just learned to deal with it when it came to Wilford. He was pretty much the one exception that could be made, simply because he didn’t understand death.

No one had ever told Bim explicitly that Wilford truly didn’t understand the concept of death, but after working with Will for so long, it became clear to see.

The way he acted, the flippant nature he held towards weapons of mass destruction. The casual dismissal of anything related to the end. What others might have seen as a sign of psychopathy, Bim knew was just… lack of understanding.

Bim understood death. He knew it on a personal basis. It was easy to see that Wilford didn’t. He felt a certain amount of pity for the cotton candy ego, unable to understand the ramifications of his actions. That’s why Bim just… let it go. There was nothing he could do to stop him, so it was best to just ignore it and try to help the ego when he could. 

The only thing that really still bothered Bim was what happened to the bodies of the murdered.

Wilford didn’t eat them, that much was for sure. They just stayed there while the television crew packed up their things, darkening the studio. And yet when Bim came back sometimes, just to check, the body was gone. Like it had gotten up and walked away. That wasn’t what happened, though.

Someone was tampering with the bodies, making sure Wilford wouldn’t see them still dead the next morning.

In the end, the ego decided that whoever was doing it must be making sure that the bodies were taken care of and eaten properly, and he shouldn’t worry about it too much. They were gone in the morning, and they weren’t left there to rot, so there wasn’t much more to think about surrounding it.

Today, however, was different.

Bim got caught up in the studio, intending to pack up the studio for the day when he finished up his extra work, deliberately ignoring the body that was just left lying on the stage. He stopped his work suddenly when he heard footsteps coming into the studio. 

It was Dark.

It had been almost three weeks since he’d last talked or even really seen the manipulative ego, ever since he invited him to watch him eat. That might not have been all that worrying, as Dark usually kept to himself and only talked to people when he had use for them, but the timing was a bit too coincidental.

“Trimmer. I was just looking for you,” Dark said.

“Oh, I’ve been here all day. I had a lot of work to catch up on. What do you need?”

“It was actually relating to that.” Dark pointed over his shoulder on the final word, thumb aimed at the body limp on the floor.

“What about it?”

“Obviously it needs to be… disposed of. Usually I am the one who does it-” That answered the question of who dealt with that problem, not that it was that big of a surprise- “but that is quite a hassle. I was hoping you could take care of it for me. You seem to have a system figured out.”

“You want me to eat it?”

“Yes. And everyone else Wilford murderers.”

Bim scrunched up his face. “Wilford… kills a lot of people. I can’t keep up with that.”

“I’ve seen your fridge. You have… parts packaged in there. Just do that.”

“But if I package too much of it up, the meat will go rotten! I could never let that happen. That’d just be… extremely wasteful. Why not just keep doing what you’ve been doing? I’m sure whoever you’re feeding it to doesn’t mind.”

“...Feeding it to?” Dark muttered under his breath, out of earshot of Bim. “Whatever. How about you just take whoever Wilford kills on this show. It’s a lot less than all of the people the lunatic manages to kill, and it wouldn’t pile up. Is that acceptable to you?”

“Alright, I guess I could… Just make sure the rest of the bodies are going to good places. They shouldn’t be wasted.”

Dark raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by ‘wasted’?”

“You know. Wasted. Not eaten. Left to rot. That’s one of the worst fates a person could ever bare. Just left with no use to the world. I know you wouldn’t do that, though.”

“...Right. Of course not,” he replied dryly. “Well, Trimmer, it’s good to see that we’ve come to an agreement. You can deal with this body, now. I’ll be in my room. And don’t forget to lock up in here.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Dark.”

Dark didn’t reply, just walking away without acknowledgement that he even heard him.

Bim looked to the body. He wasn’t all that hungry right now. Maybe it would be best to just carve him into pieces now and skip his usual indulgence. He needed to watch his figure, anyway. He couldn’t let himself get too crazy with his eating habits. Humans were high in cholesterol, after all. 

Bim finished up his work with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter titles are always what has died in the chapter ;)


	4. Squirrel #21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Of the Squirrels and Bim have a chat, and everything goes to shit.

A few months later, a sadness had descended upon Ego HQ. Not over everyone but just one solitary ego, walking around like a cloud of gloom was following him. It was a bit disconcerting to see, especially in regards to the ego it was happening to, but everyone was accustomed to it by now. 

One of King’s squirrels had died.

This might not seem like a big deal as squirrels didn’t tend to live very long in the wild, but for King it was one of the worst things in the world. His squirrels were his subjects, his people, and he cared for each of them like they were his own child. He named each of them and knew all of them from the day they were born, and so when the time did come that one died- usually of natural causes as King made sure no predators could ever hurt them- it was a dark time, indeed.

It was best to just let him be for a while, and just give him space to grieve with his squirrels. Some of the kinder egos may try to help him once in awhile, but everyone mostly just let him get over it in time. It was for the better. King was one of the most sensitive egos, and there was almost no one who could comfort him in these times. He was just too attached. No words or comforting gestures could help that.

That day however, King came up to Bim himself.

“I’m King of The Squirrels,” King said to Bim, startling the ego. He turned to look at him, confused for a second, then smiled.

“What do you need?”

“I’m King of The Squirrels.” King repeated. Bim nodded. After being with King for so long, all of the egos just knew how to decipher his limited speech. They couldn’t explain how, they just did instinctively. 

“Alright. I’ll go with you.” Bim smiled. “Just lead the way.”

King started forward. He didn’t say exactly where they were going, just that he wanted to share something with Bim. It sounded personal, so of course Bim wasn’t going to deny him that. Especially when he was making an effort even though he was grieving. 

Bim knew grieving was a tough process. It might not be solved just by eating the carcass of a squirrel if you were as sensitive as King. Of course, maybe he hadn’t done it just yet. Perhaps he was waiting to eat his recently deceased subject, and then after he’d feel better. Maybe he wanted to share with Bim? That’d be a bit out of nowhere, but maybe he just needed someone to be there with him. He had seen some of the other egos being led somewhere by King during these times before. Maybe it was just his turn this time.

They wove through the headquarters, King leading him outside to the woods behind the building where his kingdom was. As they walked deeper in, Bim could see squirrels beginning to flock towards King, tiny heads poking out of the brush. Occasionally the monarch would pet one of them on the head, or whisper a few sweet ‘I’m King of the Squirrels’ to them, but otherwise they just continued on through the forest without interruption.

Eventually, they got to a small grove, a small circle where trees hadn’t grown. King motioned Bim towards a small spot in the clearing where around twenty rocks were placed side by side.

“I’m King of The Squirrels,” King whispered quietly, patting the ground. It looked newly dug up and then packed back together. Bim looked at it, eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m… not sure what you mean?” Bim questioned. The words King said didn’t seem to make sense like they usually did. They didn’t fit together like they should.

“I’m King of The Squirrels.” King repeated. Bim shook his head. It was the same.

King frowned, then pointed to one of his squirrels. The paused, then pointed to the ground.

Was… was one of his squirrels under there? Why would one of them be under the dirt? That made no sense. What would be the point. Why? Was it an accident? Did King need help? It didn’t seem like he was panicking, trying to get Bim to dig anything up. He was just staring forlornly at the stone laying ontop of the mound of dirt.

Bim scratched his head.

Maybe it was best to just accept it. Let King... work out whatever he needed to. He wouldn't question it. It wasn’t the weirdest coping mechanism, whatever it was. 

King could do whatever he wanted. It wasn’t Bim’s place to say anything contrary.

He slowly sat down next to King, staring at the dirt, still trying to find meaning. There didn’t seem to be any. After a few minutes, King laid his head on Bim’s shoulder. He could feel wetness on his shirt.

Bim wrapped his arms around King. “Hey, it’s okay. He lived a nice long squirrel life. You loved him more than anyone else would have, and I’m sure he loved you back. You do whatever you need to to remember his life. I know it’s tough. You just have to remember that it’s part of life. There was nothing that could have been done. And soon, he’ll be back with the earth, still part of it. He’s not gone forever. It’s okay, King.”

King’s body wracked with sobs, and he seemed to hug Bim tighter, closer to him.

“It’s okay. I know it hurts. Just know that he’ll be providing for you now. You’ll be closer to him than you ever could have been in life. And then, you can move on and focus your energy on the subjects that are still here, and their children that will begin the life cycle anew.”

He felt King stiffen up slightly, his head shifting slightly in a tilt. Bim couldn’t see his face though so he couldn’t detect what exactly he was feeling. It passed in a few seconds, though, as he resumed his deep sobs.

They sat that way for a while, just holding each other close. Bim focused on the pile of dirt with the stone on top of it. He still didn’t understand the significance of it, but King just kept looking back at it before his sobs came back with full force, so Bim let it be.

Instead, he closed his eyes, saying a quick word for the squirrel, and it’s family in the woods. It may have just been a squirrel, just one part of the food chain, but it had importance. Weight. It was meaningful. Without it, there wouldn’t be food for everyone else. That was the way the world worked. The squirrel had lived a nice long squirrel life, and it was loved beyond every measure. It truly did have a profound effect on this world, on King, and that was really the one thing anyone, animal or man, could ever hope for. Just making a difference in the world, and contributing towards it even after your death.

Bim had heard about people saying that they wanted to leave a lasting impression on the world when they were gone, one that when people looked back on centuries later they’d still remember, but Bim didn’t think that really was what mattered when people talked about making a difference. It was just about the people you interacted with in your life, and what you did for them. It was all about other people. If you just did everything for yourself, there’d be no point to your life. That’s why it was so important to give back after death. Even if you did nothing helpful in all of your life, at least you’d be helping there. That’s just how the world worked.

This squirrel, the one that meant so much to King, he made a difference, and that’s what mattered.

Finally after the sun had set in the sky, King shifted away from him, leaving the wet spot on his suit exposed to the cold air and sending a shiver down Bim’s spine.

“I’m King of The Squirrels,” King said hoarsely.

“Yeah. I’m sure the other egos are wondering about us. Have you eaten yet, King?”

“I’m King of The Squirrels?” King cocked his head.

“Eaten. You know… Eaten.” Bim gestured pointlessly.

King’s brow furrowed. 

“Eaten him. Have you eaten the squirrel yet. That’s kind of important. You don’t want his body to rot. Then it’s just useless.”

King’s eye widened, and he took a large step backwards. He shook his head violently, taking a few more large steps backwards.

“I-I’M KING OF THE SQUIRRELS!” He said fearfully.

“What?” He just said that he’d never eat one of his squirrels. That… didn’t make sense. “Why not? What else would you do with a squirrel? It’s meat. It’s meant to be eaten.”  
“I’M KING OF THE SQUIRRELS!” This time, his voice was filled with malice. Pure rage and anger directed at Bim. 

He held his hands up defensively. “What! I’m just- I’m just saying! It’s a dead squirrel. You eat it! What else would you do with it?”

King pointed violently at the ground. The dirt mound.

It was Bim’s turn to step back this time, his eye widening in realization. 

“You just… put it in the ground? Why would you do that? That’s incredibly wasteful! What’s the point of that? Why would you-” Bim blinked. “Are all those stones squirrels?”

“I’m King Of The Squirrels!”

“How could you do that? That’s… that’s just wrong. I… you’re robbing that squirrel of his ability to contribute to the natural life cycle! Why would you do that? Do… do you even care about him? You won’t even let him do one last thing for this Earth?” The words spilled out of Bim’s mouth unimpeded. If he was more rational he would never have accused King of not caring because he knew that the monarch did care with his whole heart, more than anyone else, but for now it was just a shock. 

It was such a waste. It was robbing part of this world of any chance to give back to the world that gave it life. Instead, it would rot away in the ground, unknown, trampled over by everyone over the years, until it faded away into dust. That was… repulsive. 

Who would want that?

“I’m King of The Squirrels!” King’s voice broke, sounding desperate.

“It’s a squirrel, King. It’s meant to be eaten. That’s what it was put on this earth to do. That’s what everyone was put on this earth for!”

“I’m King of The Squirrels! I’m King of the Squirrels! I’m King of the Squirrels!” King went on a rant, speaking more than Bim had ever heard him say at once. He could barely understand the words that were flying out of his mouth, all of them seemingly unintelligible, but not really needing meaning when the raw feeling behind the words was clear.

“I can’t believe you! You’re trying to defend yourself now? I-”

King cut him off, his pointer finger pointing sharply out of the clearing.

Bim quieted, unsure what to say. He opted for complete silence in lieu of anything else. Instead he just walked out of the clearing, not looking back at King.

He couldn’t process what he was feeling right now. Confusion, anger, a bit of guilt, it all welled up. He just didn’t understand. Why was King doing that? What possible use would there be in just… throwing the body of someone you loved in the ground to rot. It was just wrong.

He walked back to the headquarters, trying to sort through his thoughts. It didn’t help.

This wasn’t something that could be fixed.

This was wrong.

Everything was wrong.

Bim didn’t know what to think.

So he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I refuse to believe KotS is anything other than Groot. 
> 
> Also, this is the last pre-written chapter I have for now, so updates will take longer. I definitely have to be in a particular mood to write a disillusioned cannibal.


End file.
